Transport Secretary challenged as CalMac loses two ferries on busiest route

Scotland’s ferries are in a state of “national emergency”, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop was told, with two vessels operating on CalMac’s busiest route now out of action.

Ms Hyslop was told some people had been left “stranded” on the island as a result of problems with the ferries on the Ardrossan to Arran route.

Labour MSP for the West of Scotland Katy Clark said worried locals had contacted her about the situation.

Ms Clark said: “In the past 24 hours a number of constituents have been in touch of me concerned they won’t make hospital appointments, a farmer who won’t be able to get their lambs off the island to market tomorrow and so will have to wait another month, and a visitor, whose family of six, in two cars, including a disabled person, are stranded on the island.”

She asked Ms Hylsop if she agreed that “the ferry crisis is becoming a national emergency”.

Her comments came after the MV Caledonian Isles had its return to service between Ardrossan to Arran delayed as a result of a gearbox failure.

Meanwhile the MV Isle of Arran made its last sailing on the route at lunchtime on Tuesday ahead of annual maintenance.

Ms Hylsop insisted that the “overhaul” of the MV Caledonian Isles could not be delayed, as she expressed her “deep frustration and concern” about the situation.

Scottish Conservative West of Scotland MSP Jamie Green said that left “no services running out of Ardrossan to the Isle of Arran”.

Another ferry, the MV Alfred, will sail from to the island from Troon on Wednesday, Mr Greene said, adding: “You can not book on the Alfred tomorrow, we tried to do it just five minutes ago. That service is now full, understandably, because of its reduced capacity.”

Raising the matter with the Transport Secretary in Holyrood he said there had been “endless breakdowns and cancellations on this route”, telling MSPs that the MV Caledonian Isles had been out of service since February 2024.

Ms Hyslop said that the state owned ferry operator CalMac would set out what “resilience cover” would be provided on the Ardrossan to Arran service

But she made clear: “I have impressed on them the Government’s requirement, that Arran, the busiest route on the network, is supported this week from Thursday and for the September weekend.”

The issues come as a result of CalMac’s ageing fleet, with new ferries currently under construction.

Two of those vessels, the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa, are being built at the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow, but are years late and massively overbudget.

Ms Hyslop said ministers are expecting the Glen Sannox to start sailing to Arran “in the next few months”, saying this would provide “resilience” on the route.

In the meantime, the Transport Secretary accepted: “We have this period which is a challenge, I recognise that.”

She added: “It is frustrating for individuals, I think it is also frustrating for CalMac as well because they are having to deal with that reorganisation and passengers and customers.”